The Unforgettable Logan Foster #1 by Shawn Peters Published by HarperCollins on 18-01-2022
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Superheroes, Juvenile Fiction / Family / Adoption, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Pages: 272
Packed with superheroes, supervillains, and epic showdowns between good and evil, The Unforgettable Logan Foster from debut author Shawn Peters shows that sometimes being a hero is just about being yourself.
Logan Foster has pretty much given up on the idea of ever being adopted. It could have something to with his awkward manner, his photographic memory, or his affection for reciting curious facts, but whatever the cause, Logan and his “PP’s” (prospective parents) have never clicked.
Then everything changes when Gil and Margie arrive. Although they aren’t exactly perfect themselves—Gil has the punniest sense of humor and Margie’s cooking would have anyone running for the hills—they genuinely seem to care.
But it doesn’t take Logan long to notice some very odd things about them. They are out at all hours, they never seem to eat, and there’s a part of the house that is protected by some pretty elaborate security.
No matter what Logan could have imagined, nothing prepared him for the truth: His PP’s are actually superheroes, and they’re being hunted down by dastardly forces. Logan’s found himself caught in the middle in a massive battle and the very fate of the world may hang in the balance. Will Logan be able to find a way to save the day and his new family?
Title: The Unforgettable Logan Foster | Author: Shawn Peters | Publisher: HarperCollins | Genre: Middlegrade | 272 pages
This is one of those books I was excited enough about to pre-order it and then promptly forgot about it. It’s not like I did it on purpose! Also, it was a nice surprise when it showed up with the rest of my books, front and center, ready to capture my attention and make me forget about all the other books that I should be reading instead.
Logan Foster has pretty much given up on the idea of ever being adopted. It could have something to with his awkward manner, his photographic memory, or his affection for reciting curious facts, but whatever the cause, Logan and his “PP’s” (prospective parents) have never clicked. Then everything changes when Gil and Margie arrive. Although they aren’t exactly perfect themselves–Gil has the punniest sense of humor and Margie’s cooking would have anyone running for the hills–they genuinely seem to care. But it doesn’t take Logan long to notice some very odd things about them. They are out at all hours, they never seem to eat, and there’s a part of the house that is protected by some pretty elaborate security. No matter what Logan could have imagined, nothing prepared him for the truth: His PP’s are actually superheroes, and they’re being hunted down by dastardly forces. Logan’s found himself caught in the middle in a massive battle and the very fate of the world may hang in the balance. Will Logan be able to find a way to save the day and his new family?
TL;DR: “The Unforgettable Logan Foster” is a fast paced book full of wonderful characters and great neurodivergent representation. It’s a new take on superheros, full of interesting tidbits and trivia, first time friendship and – most importantly – the wonderful Found Family trope which made me all fuzzy and warm inside.
When I read the synopsis and bought the book I expected a funny and charming Middlegrade book full of shenenigans and superheros and my beloved Found Family trope. Which, to be fair, is also what I got. What I also got, is so much more and so much deeper than what I was expecting and I was first surprised and then blown away.
The book is told from the perspective of Logan Foster, an orphan that has been abandoned at LAX when he was small. He doesn’t know anything about his family, just that he probably had a younger sibling – the narration is directed as a story for that unknown younger sibling, should Logan ever manage to find them. It was a charming idea and left space for Logan making certain comments or explanations for the reader.
I can remember every word and every detail, but emotions don’t always get remembered exactly right.
What surprised me most about the book was the introduction of Logan. When you read the synopsis, there is no hint to the fact that Logan is a neurodivergent character. Aside from his eidetic memory, he’s also on the spectrum which comes with many “quirks” and special behavioral patterns from not wanting to be touched too much to being bad at recognising emotions (his own and others’) and rattling down lists of things when he is nervous. I absolutely adored Logan. He was so special and his matter-of-fact kind of attitude and approach to other people was so refreshing and gave a unique look into his world and worldview. I admit I have no friends or relatives that are on the spectrum but from my limited point of view I’d say that I found the character very immersive and relatable.
Apparently, saying “I see you’re not dead” is not a polite way to start a conversation.”
Margie and Gil are great parental charaters as well. There are not many MG books were you can say that, honestly – mostly because the parents are either dead or missing or just plain don’t care about their child – and it was both refreshing and endearing.
Gil talks with a lot of breaks in his sentences and pretty much every time he says something, he incorporates some kind of pun. I love a good pun so I was grinning every time Gil was part of the story.Margie was the more serious part of the parental duo, at the same time kind and loving but also strict. I really loved her and how protective she was of Logan from the start. She seemed to be the driving force of the family but I never felt like she and Gil were somehow unequal.
The whole story takes place in LA but honestly, it could have taken place in any other fictional city. It felt a bit generic and somehow it felt like it was wanted like that. Like the house Logan and his new parents live and also the whole city were some kind of very average, very plain secret identity.
In fact, it looked like the kind of place that could have been perfectly secure with just a sign: “Warning, Really Boring Stuff Inside.”
I feel like the book was very character driven – not hard when it’s told in first person – but the plot was still an integer part of the book. I loved the mystery, (even though it’s not really a mystery when you’ve read the synopsis) and enjoyed following Logan trying to figure it all out. The plot kinda reads like an old fashioned superhero comic but better. I really enjoyed that aspect and I hope we will see more of it in a future book.
All in all, I really, really, really enjoyed the book. It gave me lots of fuzzy feelings and taught me not only interesting trivia but also about who some people on the spectrum process things. I will definitely, DEFINITELY read any future books in this series. I can’t wait.
My Rating:
Have you read The Unforgettable Logan Foster or do you have it on your tbr? Would you want to read it?
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